Photo By Tech. Sgt. Warren Spearman | CLINTON, North Carolina – Warren D. Spearman Sr, poses for a portrait with his son...... read more read more
Subscribe
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – For a lot of people, the end of their Air Force career comes with relief. It can be a highly stressful job that puts pressure on both individuals and families.
For one former Airman, however, it’s a choice that haunts him to this very day.
For Warren Douglas Spearman Sr., a 74-year-old retired truck driver who entered the Air Force in 1968 after graduating high school, the decision to leave the Air Force after serving just four years ranks as the biggest regret of his life.
“I think about it every day,” Spearman said from his home in Clinton, North Carolina. “Everyday.”
Stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in Plattsburgh, New York, Spearman served as a Civil Engineering troop assigned to the 380th Bomb Wing, specializing in ground transportation, before that career became part of the Logistics Readiness Squadron. He was promoted to buck sergeant, and he loved what he was doing.
“It was the best time of my life,” Spearman said.
Those good times could’ve extended into possibly a 30-year career, but Spearman decided to cut short his Air Force career after a trip home. The choice wasn’t popular with his Air Force family.
“All of my friends and even my captain asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this,” Spearman said. “I hesitated, but in the end, I left.”
After leaving the Air Force, Spearman could’ve started his new life anywhere he wanted, and he had a couple of places in mind.
“Miami,” he said with a laugh. “Or Brazil.”
Instead of those, he chose to settle back in his native North Carolina where his family was, a choice that he now looks on with some regret, but it worked out for him as he got married and started a family.
It’s a fascinating ‘what-if’ scenario. Spearman married his wife, the late Macie Helen Spearman in 1973, and became a stepfather to her daughter, Sharon Tristan, who was born in 1967. Had he stayed in the Air Force, it wouldn't have happened.
“Yeah, I wouldn't have met him, and I might not have a brother and sister,” said Tristan.
Spearman and his wife went on to have two children, Amanda Spearman, who lives in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Warren Spearman Jr., who followed his father’s footsteps by joining the Air Force where he serves as a technical sergeant at the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base.
Had he stayed in the Air Force, things would be much different. Though he said he feels regretful, he ultimately said life had a way of working out in the end.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Spearman said. “I wish I had stayed in, but things worked out for me. I have a wonderful family that I love very much, and I’m happy with the way things turned out.”
Anya Seton once wrote: “There are many trails up the mountain, but in time they all reach the top.” The roads we take may not take us where we want in the beginning, but in time it could’ve been the best thing to ever happen to us.
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2021 02:19 |
| Story ID: | 406378 |
| Location: | CLINTON, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Road Not Taken, by TSgt Warren Spearman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
